POTTSVILLE - The Pottsville School Board took care of some last-minute business for the 2004-05 school year at its regular meeting Thursday night.

The board approved the budget for the school year and adopted several policies for both the middle grades and elementary school.

Superintendent Randall Williams told board members the proposed budget was a projection of the financial picture for the upcoming year.

"We enter the year with some uncertainty," Williams said. "The financial situation in the district is good. We've been able to operate and get things done because of growth. Basically, we lived off our growth last year."

However, Williams said the district's building needs, which are dependent upon the passage of a proposed six-mill property tax increase, create some uncertainty about where money will be needed.

"This year, the state is contributing funding to schools around the state, so we're going to enjoy more state support than we have," Williams said. "The outlook on operations is good, but the looming problem with overcrowding causes a little bit of indecision because, if we get in a position where the building program is so ominous, we'll have to devote funds to that building project."

The millage increase proposal will be the main issue for voters in the Pottsville School District in the Sept. 21 school election.

"When the millage goes through, those projects will be more doable," Williams said. "If it does not go through, we'll be trying to divert funding and make everything go through."

Williams said $4.1 million has been budgeted for teacher salaries, which accounts for approximately 75 percent of the total budget. He also said approximately $3 million has been budgeted for the operating fund, an increase of about $500,000 from last year.

The district's debt service decreased from $505,000 in 2003-04 to $410,000.

"We are going to have a significant increase in state revenue," Williams said. "We have tried to budget in some for teacher raises and raises for classified personnel as well."

The first installment of state funding has come in already, and other funding will begin to come in soon, Williams said.

The board approved parent involvement and homeless policies for the middle grades and the elementary school. The principals from each school presented the policies, which needed official board approval to be adopted.

Williams said the high school policies will be presented at next month's meeting because Principal Larry Dugger was not present at Thursday's meeting.

The board also approved the purchase of automated external defibrillators for each school.

According to Williams, the AEDs will be placed in strategic locations around the schools, and several employees in each building will be trained to use them in case of emergency situations.

"From the information I've seen, there are a number of deaths from cardiac arrest, and this equipment can be a life-saving device in that situation," Williams said.

The machines are designed to be used by first responders and other emergency workers to treat sudden cardiac arrest. The automated machines are fairly user-friendly, Williams said.

"We have some employees who have been through the training, and the device does give some feedback and directions," he said.

Board member Jerry Clair agreed.

"It appears the device makes a lot of the decisions, you just have to follow the directions," Clair said. "I think it's a good idea."

Middle Grades Principal Houston Townsend said he plans for all the sixth grade teachers to receive training on the AEDs because there is a sixth grade student who has a heart condition.

Williams said when the inservice training on the devices was initially given, not all teachers were available to participate. He said another training session will be planned to give those teachers another opportunity.

In other business, the board approved the purchase of one modular classroom for the high school. Williams said the classroom was identical to the others that have been purchased except that it doesn't contain any restrooms, so it would be $2,000 cheaper.

Three student transfers were approved as well, including one from Dover to Pottsville, one from Pottsville to Atkins and one from Pottsville to Russellville.

After an executive session, the board voted to employ Kim Austin, special education aide, Howard Caudle, teacher, and Jill Riggs, elementary nurse. Caudle will teach one period each day in the middle grades.